A winter of hiding under jeans, boots and tights has more than likely left your formerly glamorous pins in a state of disarray.
Once tanned, toned, buffed and smooth, current symptoms include fluffiness, a tendency to glow in the dark and enough flaky dry skin to recycle into paper! Never fear, the solution is at hand with just a few easy steps to ensure that this spring, your legs are ready!
Buffed
How to get rid of the slough of dead skin cells? It’s elementary my dear nzgirls. Exfoliate! There are a plethora of products out there which can assist your quest for new skin cells but your best bet is a body brush, which used in the morning and brushed towards your heart boosts circulation, brushes off the dead skin and helps ward off cellulite!
Sleek
There never seems much reason to religiously and relentlessly shave your legs over winter – what’s the point when they’re not going to see the light of day anyway? Yet, when the time for baby lambs and daffodils arises, so does the time to start baring your legs. Still not keen on the daily blade action? Try waxing or use Johnson & Johnson Hair Minimising Lotion to prolong the period between shaves.
Tanned
Legs glowing more than Casper the ghost? You could go for the Elizabethan beauty look, but given that this season it’s all about exotic faraway places, we suggest you get out the fake tan. You can try a salon application, or take the more pocket-friendly DIY route. We’ve found Piz Buin’s range works really well and has great results. For some tips on doing-it-yourself, check out our foolproof guide, here.
Smooth
Once you’ve achieved the sleek and buffed stages, you need to capture that softness for a day-in, day-out smooth look. Want to know the secret of how to get super-smooth silky legs? Baby oil is an industry trick because it works to seal in ten times more moisture than many other creams or lotions. The secret lies in applying it after your shower, but before patting your skin dry, so that a protective layer forms over the wet skin. We like the yummy smelling Lavender Johnson’s Baby Oil Gel ($7.95) for super sexy smoothness.
Toned A bit of all-round fitness never hurt anyone but for some targeted leg toning, we have a few good exercises to incorporate into your nightly routine:
Lunges are good. Make sure when you bend down that both legs form right angles, your back stays in line and you don’t let your front knee extend.
Try some Swiss Ball Squats. Stand with the ball resting in the small of your back, between you and a wall and spread your feet, shoulder width apart and a little in front of your hips. With your hands resting on your hips, squat down, letting the Swiss ball guide you down the wall, but not fully supporting you. Return to standing and repeat.
Tone up the old-fashioned way and get your walking shoes on. After all, with the weather warming up (hopefully) it’s the perfect time to start pounding the pavement.
Exposed
There is some hot spring fashion coming out so make sure your legs are suitably dressed for their grand unveiling. Pick yourself up some shorts - knee length or daringly short - and pair them with some cute peep-toe heels or strappy sandals. Or opt for a gypsy skirt then you can graduate the length as to how willing you are to reveal your progress.
A winter of hiding under jeans, boots and tights has more than likely left your formerly glamorous pins in a state of disarray.
Sleek
Smooth
A bit of all-round fitness never hurt anyone but for some targeted leg toning, we have a few good exercises to incorporate into your nightly routine: